1939 – 2015

AUBURN — Michael Jon Walton, 76, of Auburn, left his earthly presence and entered into the arms of the Lord on Monday, Feb. 9, surrounded by his wife and daughters while under the care of the staff at Androscoggin Home & Hospice Center in Auburn.

Michael was born on Jan. 6, 1939, in Framingham, Mass., son of Clarence E. Walton and Eline Hennings Walton. Michael graduated from Edward Little High School in 1957 and married his sweetheart, Donna Nuzzo, in 1958.

Their early years of marriage brought them two daughters, Brenda and Belinda, and they resided them in Auburn until Michael took on a new adventure of opening his own business. The family moved to Gorham, and Michael opened Mario’s Restaurant, a franchise business in 1969. While he ran the business in Gorham, he was not only a father to Brenda and Belinda, he came to be a “dad” to many of the young kids and the older kids as well, as Mario’s was a gathering place for many during the ’70s.

Michael and his wife, Donna, decided to sell the business in 1978 and try another new adventure and work for the original founder of the Mario’s franchise, in North Conway, N.H. After less than two years they opted to return to their roots in Auburn and start their own business again. They opened Mike’s Variety in New Auburn and later chose to leave the stress of being a “business owner” and enter back to the working world.

Michael worked for the former Pineland Center in the Canteen following along with his history of “feeding others.” This brought him great joy as he again was a “Dad” to many. The final work history for Mike was using his talents of “tinkering” and putting together partitions for Misco Maintenance as a technician.

He had a genetic heart condition that was managed by the help of a pacemaker, which he handled on his own for many years. Eventually, he was not able to continue working, but he did not let this get him down as he continued to find projects to keep him busy around the house. After a stroke in 2008 and open-heart surgery in 2010, his wife, Donna, became his devoted caregiver at home.

Michael enjoyed family time as he would gather with his sisters, brothers-in-law and close friends to play cards on weekends. During the summers, he spent precious time with his daughters and grandchildren on Cobbossee Lake in Manchester at the camp of his daughter, Belinda. Many fun times were had while fishing on “his” pontoon boat in “Lunkerville” with the grandchildren while trying to catch the “big one.” He enjoyed card games and “late” meals on the screened-in front porch and more precious time on the outdoor patio with beautiful sunsets and evening bonfires.

Recently, his condition became chronic, and he was hospitalized several times with the final hospitalization being in hospice care.

Michael is survived by wife, Donna Walton; daughter, Brenda and husband, Stephen Orach, and grandchildren, Jesse and Ethan Orach of Gorham; daughter, Belinda and husband, Michael Vallee, of Auburn and grandchildren, Mike Vallee, wife, Jaime, and great-grandchild, Michael C. Jr. of Old Orchard Beach, granddaughter, Ilissa and husband, Derek Cotton, and great-grandchildren, Isabelle and Calvin Cotton of Waipahu, Hawaii and grandson Mitchell Vallee of Auburn and granddaughter, Jocelyn Vallee of Auburn. Michael also leaves behind many close friends, in-laws and nieces and nephews.

Michael is predeceased by his parents, Clarence Walton and Eline Jenkins; and stepfather, Leon Jenkins; infant son, Bruce Michael; and sister, Tonia Hagan.

The family would like to extend special thanks to the doctors and staff at Family Practice in Lewiston and mostly to Dr. Woolever for his attentive care to Michael and family while at CMMC as well as the nurses and staff on T3 for their tireless efforts and for the outstanding care and compassion of the staff at Androscoggin Home & Hospice Care Center in Auburn.

Online condolences can be made at the Lewiston Sun Journal and the Portland Press Herald websites and at www.funeralalternatives.net.